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PC Perspectivehttp://www.pcper.com/images/podcast-logo-600x600.pngenThe Khronos Group Announces VR Standard Initiativehttps://www.pcper.com/reviews/General-Tech/Khronos-Group-Announces-VR-Standard-Initiative
<p><strong>Update, December 6th, 2016 @ 2:46pm EST:</strong> Khronos has updated the images on their website, and those changes are now implemented on our post. The flow-chart image changed dramatically, but the members image has also added LunarG.</p>
<p><strong>Original Post Below</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.khronos.org/news/press/khronos-announces-vr-standards-initiative">The Khronos Group has just announced</a> their <a href="https://www.khronos.org/vr">VR initiative</a>, which is in the early, call for participation stage. The goal is to produce an API that can be targeted by drivers from each vendor, so that applications can write once and target all compatible devices. The current list of participants are: Epic Games, Google, Oculus VR, Razer, Valve, AMD, ARM, Intel, NVIDIA, VeriSilicon, Sensics, and Tobii. The point of this announcement is to get even more companies involved, before it matures.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/reviews/General-Tech/Khronos-Group-Announces-VR-Standard-Initiative" class="inline-image-link" title="View: khronos-2016-vr-members-2.png"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/review/2016-12-06/khronos-2016-vr-members-2.png" alt="khronos-2016-vr-members-2.png" title="khronos-2016-vr-members-2.png" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="263" /></a></div></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><em>Image Credit: <a href="https://www.khronos.org/vr">The Khronos Group</a></em></p>
<p>Valve, in particular, has donated their OpenVR API to Khronos Group. I assume that this will provide the starting point for the initiative, similar to how AMD donated Mantle to found Vulkan, which overcomes the decision paralysis of a blank canvas. Also, especially for VR, I doubt these decisions would significantly affect individual implementations. If it does, though, now would be the time for them to propose edits.</p>
<p>In terms of time-frame, it&rsquo;s early enough that the project scope hasn&rsquo;t even been defined, so schedules can vary. They do claim that, based on past experiences, about 18 months is &ldquo;often typical&rdquo;.</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s about it for the announcement; on to my analysis.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/reviews/General-Tech/Khronos-Group-Announces-VR-Standard-Initiative" class="inline-image-link" title="View: khronos-2016-vr-perpectives-2.png"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/review/2016-12-06/khronos-2016-vr-perpectives-2.png" alt="khronos-2016-vr-perpectives-2.png" title="khronos-2016-vr-perpectives-2.png" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="303" /></a></div></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><em>Image Credit: <a href="https://www.khronos.org/vr">The Khronos Group</a>, modified</em></p>
<p>First, it&rsquo;s good that The Khronos Group are the ones taking this on. Not only do they have the weight to influence the industry, especially with most of these companies having already collaborated on other projects, like OpenGL, OpenCL, and Vulkan, but their standards tend to embrace extensions. This allows Oculus, Valve, and others to add special functionality that can be picked up by applications, but still be compatible at a base level with the rest of the ecosystem. <i>To be clear, the announcement said </i><i><span style="text-decoration: none"><span style="font-weight: normal">nothing about extensions</span></span></i><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="text-decoration: none"><span style="font-weight: normal">, but it would definitely make sense for VR,</span></span></span><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="text-decoration: none"><span style="font-weight: normal"> which can vary with interface methods, eye-tracking, player tracking, and so forth.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="text-decoration: none"><span style="font-weight: normal">If extensions end up being a thing, this controlled competition allows the standard as a whole to evolve. If an extension ends up being popular, that guides development of multi-vendor extensions, which eventually may be absorbed into the core specification. On the other hand, The Khronos Group might decide that, for VR specifically, the core functionality is small and stable enough that extensions would be unnecessary. Who knows at this point.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="text-decoration: none"><span style="font-weight: normal">Second, The Khronos Group stated that Razer joined for this initiative specifically. <a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Razer-Joins-Khronos-Group">A few days ago</a>, we posted news and assumed that they wanted to have input into an existing initiative, like Vulkan. While they still might, their main intentions are to contribute to this VR platform.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="text-decoration: none"><span style="font-weight: normal">Third, there are a few interesting omissions from the list of companies.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="text-decoration: none"><span style="font-weight: normal"><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/reviews/General-Tech/Khronos-Group-Announces-VR-Standard-Initiative" class="inline-image-link" title="View: microsoft-2016-hololens-hero.png"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/review/2016-12-05/microsoft-2016-hololens-hero.png" alt="microsoft-2016-hololens-hero.png" title="microsoft-2016-hololens-hero.png" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="228" /></a></div></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="text-decoration: none"><span style="font-weight: normal">Microsoft, who <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/26/13418156/microsoft-windows-10-holographic-virtual-reality-headset-announced-price">recently announced a VR ecosystem for Windows 10</a></span></span></span><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="text-decoration: none"><span style="font-weight: normal"> (along with the possibly-applicable HoloLens of course)</span></span></span><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="text-decoration: none"><span style="font-weight: normal">, and is a member of the Khronos Group, isn&rsquo;t part of the initiative, at least not yet. This makes sense from a historical standpoint, as Microsoft tends to assert control over APIs from the ground up. They are, or I should say were, fairly reluctant to collaborate, unless absolutely necessary. This has changed recently, starting with their participation with the W3C, because good God I hope web browsers conform to a standard, but also <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/11/hell_freezes_over_microsoft_joins_khronos/">their recent membership</a> with the Khronos Group, hiring ex-Mozilla employees, and so forth. Microsoft has been lauding how they embrace openness lately, but </span></span></span><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="text-decoration: none"><span style="font-weight: normal">not in this way yet.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="text-decoration: none"><span style="font-weight: normal">Speaking of Mozilla, that non-profit organization has been partnered with Google on WebVR for a few years now. While Google is a member of this announcement, it seems to be mostly based around their Daydream initiative. The lack of WebVR involvement with whatever API comes out of this initiative is a bit disappointing, but, again, it&rsquo;s early days. I hope to see Mozilla and the web browser side of Google jump in and participate, especially if video game engines continue to experiment with cross-compiling to Web standards.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="text-decoration: none"><span style="font-weight: normal">It&#39;s also surprising to not see Qualcomm&#39;s name on this list. The dominant mobile SoC vendor is a part of many&nbsp;Khronos-based groups including Vulkan, OpenCL, and others, so it&#39;s odd to have this omission&nbsp;here. It is early, so there isn&#39;t any reason to have concern over a split, but Qualcomm&#39;s strides into VR with development kits, platform advancements and other initiatives have picked up in recent months and I imagine it will have input on what this standard becomes.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-style: normal"><span style="text-decoration: none"><span style="font-weight: normal">And that&rsquo;s all that I can think of at the moment. If you have any interests or concerns, be sure to drop a line in the comments. Registration is not required.</span></span></span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pcper.com/reviews/General-Tech/Khronos-Group-Announces-VR-Standard-Initiative" target="_blank">read more</a></p>https://www.pcper.com/reviews/General-Tech/Khronos-Group-Announces-VR-Standard-Initiative#commentsGeneral Techhtchtc viveKhronosOculusopen vrrazervalveVRTue, 06 Dec 2016 14:00:00 +0000Scott Michaud66672 at https://www.pcper.comPodcast #425 - Samsung 960 EVO, NZXT S340, NVIDIA revenue, wireless Vive, Serious Sam VR, Steam VR on Linux and more!https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Podcast-425-Samsung-960-EVO-NZXT-S340-NVIDIA-revenue-wireless-Vive-Serious-Sam-VR-
<p><strong>PC Perspective Podcast #425 - 11/17/16</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Hosts</strong>: &nbsp;Allyn Malventano, Josh Walrath, Jeremy Hellstrom, and Sebastian Peak</p>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8">Week in Review:</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8"><a href="https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Storage/Samsung-960-EVO-250GB-and-1TB-M2-NVMe-SSD-Full-Review-TurboWrite-Squared">Samsung 960 EVO 250GB and 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD Full Review - TurboWrite Squared</a></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8"><a href="https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Cases-and-Cooling/NZXT-Source-S340-Elite-Tempered-Glass-ATX-Case-Review">NZXT Source S340 Elite Tempered Glass ATX Case Review</a></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8">News items of interest:</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8"><a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/Graphics-Cards/NVIDIAs-Third-Quarter-2-Billion-USD-Revenue">NVIDIA&#39;s Third Quarter Up to $2 Billion USD in Revenue</a></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8"><a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/HTC-Announces-Wireless-Kit-TPCAST-Vive-VR">HTC Announces Wireless Kit from TPCAST for Vive VR</a></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8"><a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/Graphics-Cards/Serious-Sam-VR-Last-Hope-scales-multi-GPU">Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope scales with multi-GPU</a></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8"><a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Valve-says-VR-soon-coming-Linux">Valve says VR is soon coming to Linux</a></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8"><a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/Graphics-Cards/NVIDIA-GeForce-37586-Game-Ready-Drivers-Released">NVIDIA GeForce 375.86 Game Ready Drivers Released</a></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8">Hardware/Software Picks of the Week</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8">Ryan: </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8">Jeremy: </span><a href="https://hackaday.com/2016/11/16/poinsontap-makes-raspberry-pi-zero-exploit-locked-computers/">A right nasty piece of work</a></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8">Josh: </span><a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500409">1070s taking a drop.</a></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8">Allyn: </span><a href="http://petapixel.com/2015/02/21/a-practical-guide-to-creating-superresolution-photos-with-photoshop/">Superresolution for your supermoon pics</a></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8">Sebastian: </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI/">The best value in CPU cooling is on sale</a></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8"><a href="http://pcper.com/podcast">http://pcper.com/podcast</a></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8"><a href="http://twitter.com/ryanshrout">http://twitter.com/ryanshrout</a></span> and<a href="http://twitter.com/pcper"> http://twitter.com/pcper</a></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-75da36ef-73dd-c1c1-8784-dd8f8885b5c8">Closing/outro</span></div>
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<p></p><p><a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Podcast-425-Samsung-960-EVO-NZXT-S340-NVIDIA-revenue-wireless-Vive-Serious-Sam-VR-" target="_blank">read more</a></p>https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Podcast-425-Samsung-960-EVO-NZXT-S340-NVIDIA-revenue-wireless-Vive-Serious-Sam-VR-#commentsGeneral Tech375.86960 EVOhtclinuxnzxtpodcastS340Samsungserious samsteamtempered glassTPCASTvalvevideoVRwirelessThu, 17 Nov 2016 20:53:21 +0000Allyn Malventano66591 at https://www.pcper.comHTC Announces Wireless Kit from TPCAST for Vive VRhttps://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/HTC-Announces-Wireless-Kit-TPCAST-Vive-VR
<p>UploadVR <a href="http://uploadvr.com/htc-vive-wireless-kit/">is reporting that a wireless upgrade kit was on display</a> at a trade-show by Alibaba in Shenzhen, China. TPCAST, the company that created the accessory for the headset, is a participant in the Vive X program. This <a href="http://www.vive.com/us/vivex/index.php">startup accelerator provides</a> $50,000 to $200,000, mentorship, and other support to assist development of VR-related technologies. HTC claims that TPCAST&#39;s wireless solution will perform equivalently to the default, wired configuration.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/news/General-Tech/HTC-Announces-Wireless-Kit-TPCAST-Vive-VR" class="inline-image-link" title="View: htc-2016-tpcast-wireless-vive.jpg"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/news/2016-11-10/htc-2016-tpcast-wireless-vive.jpg" alt="htc-2016-tpcast-wireless-vive.jpg" title="htc-2016-tpcast-wireless-vive.jpg" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="320" /></a></div></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><em>Image Credit: <a href="http://uploadvr.com/htc-vive-wireless-kit/">UploadVR</a></em></p>
<p>Wireless almost always requires a battery, and HTC claims that two will be available. The default &ldquo;standard&rdquo; battery is expected to last about 90 minutes, although they plan a larger battery that fits in the pocket of the individual&#39;s clothing. UploadVR doesn&#39;t mention anything about price or capacity of this one, although I hope that the wiring from clothes to headset is easily managed.</p>
<p>The upgrade kit will cost about $220, when converted into USD from Chinese Yuan, and begins pre-order on November 11th at 7am PST. The units will ship in early 2017 with current owners of the HTC Vive (authenticated by serial number) getting bumped to the front of the line. I&#39;m guessing this is to gut the scalping market, which is nice, unless they goof and allow unlimited orders for a single serial number.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/HTC-Announces-Wireless-Kit-TPCAST-Vive-VR" target="_blank">read more</a></p>https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/HTC-Announces-Wireless-Kit-TPCAST-Vive-VR#commentsGeneral Techhtchtc vivepc gamingFri, 11 Nov 2016 04:36:27 +0000Scott Michaud66562 at https://www.pcper.comA VR capable machine for less than the headset?https://www.pcper.com/news/Systems/VR-capable-machine-less-headset
<p><a href="http://http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Features/amd-vr-ready-system-for-650/">Neoseeker embarked on an interesting project recently</a>; building a VR capable system which costs less than the VR headset it will power.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Budget-Cost-900">We performed a similar feat this summer</a>, a rig which at the time cost roughly $900.&nbsp; Neoseeker took a different path, using AMD parts to keep the cost low while still providing the horsepower required to drive a Rift or Vive.&nbsp; They tested their rig on The Lab, Star Wars: Trials on Tatooine and Waltz of the Wizard, finding the performance smooth and most importantly not creating the need for any dimenhydrinate.&nbsp; There are going to be some games this system struggles with but at total cost under $700 this is a great way to experience VR even if you are on a budget.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/news/Systems/VR-capable-machine-less-headset" class="inline-image-link" title="View: 01.jpg"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/news/2016-11-09/01.jpg" alt="01.jpg" title="01.jpg" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="640" /></a></div></p>
<blockquote><p>&quot;Team Red designed this system around their very capable Radeon RX 480 8GB video card and the popular FX-6350 Vishera 6-Core CPU. The RX 480 is obviously the main component that will not only be leading the dance, but also help drive the total build cost down thanks to its MSRP of $239. At the currently listed online prices, the components for system will cost around $660 USD in total after applicable rebates.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:</p>
<p><b>Systems</b></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=23733" target="_blank">Intel Kaby Lake Linux Testing With MSI&#39;s Cubi 2 Mini PC @ Phoronix</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/base-unit/leo-waldock/msi-aegis-ti-gtx-1080-sli-gaming-pc-review/" target="_blank">MSI Aegis Ti (GTX 1080 SLI) Gaming PC @ Kitguru</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/general-purpose-pc/dominic-moass/gigabyte-brix-i7a-7500-kaby-lake-barebones-review/" target="_blank">Gigabyte BRIX i7A-7500 @ Kitguru</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.eteknix.com/freshtech-solutions-project-7-gtx-1080-gaming-pc-review/" target="_blank">Freshtech Solutions Project 7 GTX 1080 Gaming PC @ eTeknix</a></li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/Systems/VR-capable-machine-less-headset" target="_blank">read more</a></p>https://www.pcper.com/news/Systems/VR-capable-machine-less-headset#commentsSystemsamdbuild guidehtcOculusriftviveVRWed, 09 Nov 2016 20:31:18 +0000Jeremy Hellstrom66547 at https://www.pcper.comVR Funhouse Game Jam Resultshttps://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/VR-Funhouse-Game-Jam-Results
<p><span style="font-style: normal">I</span><span style="font-style: normal">n <a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Europeans-Epic-Games-Hosting-VR-Game-Jam">early September</a>, we posted about a VR game jam </span><span style="font-style: normal">that was coming to Hamburg, Germany by Epic Games, NVIDIA, HTC, and Valve. </span><span style="font-style: normal">The companies wanted to increase the amount of content available so, with the release of the VR Funhouse mod kit, they rented a boat, </span><i>docked it really well</i><span style="font-style: normal">, and let indie developers do their thing around the clock. </span><span style="font-style: normal">Seven teams of three-to-five participated, and the public were invited to play around with the results.</span></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uDqfONqx1qg" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p><span style="font-style: normal">M</span><span style="font-style: normal">ost of the entries deviated from the literal fun-house theme to some extent. Probably the most </span><span style="font-style: normal">original game is one where users play a kid in a candy store, trying to evade detection while gorging on sweet, sweet candy. </span><span style="font-style: normal">Go figure, it&#39;s called </span><i>Kid in a Candy Store</i><span style="font-style: normal">.</span><span style="font-style: normal"> The closest </span><span style="font-style: normal">to the literal interpretation of the theme</span><span style="font-style: normal"> is </span><i>Beer Beer Beer and Sausages</i><span style="font-style: normal">, where you serve carnival food, with real beer and mustard fluid simulations.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-style: normal">T</span><span style="font-style: normal">wo of the games, </span><i>Beer Beer Beer and Sausages</i><span style="font-style: normal"> and </span><i>Waiter Wars</i><span style="font-style: normal">, are </span><span style="font-style: normal">available for free on the VR Funhouse Steam Workshop page. I&#39;m not sure what happened to the rest. The <a href="https://www.unrealengine.com/blog/here-are-the-mods-and-teams-from-the-vr-funhouse-game-jam">Unreal Engine post</a> seems to suggest that they are supposed to be here, but maybe some of the teams are looking to polish it up a little first.</span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/VR-Funhouse-Game-Jam-Results" target="_blank">read more</a></p>https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/VR-Funhouse-Game-Jam-Results#commentsGeneral Techepic gameshtcnvidiavalvevr funhouseFri, 04 Nov 2016 21:33:36 +0000Scott Michaud66520 at https://www.pcper.comEuropeans: Epic Games Is Hosting a VR Game Jamhttps://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Europeans-Epic-Games-Hosting-VR-Game-Jam
<p><span style="font-style: normal">So Epic Games, NVIDIA, and HTC </span><span style="font-style: normal">(with Valve)</span><span style="font-style: normal"> are hosting a game jam aboard the MS Bleichen ship </span><span style="font-style: normal">in Hamburg, Germany</span><span style="font-style: normal">. The purpose is to develop mods for VR Funhouse. Nothing says a fun VR experience like room-scale experiences on a boat. Hopefully it will be firmly docked to prevent judges from getting sea-sick... or not. Maybe that will make the carnival games even better?</span></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><span style="font-style: normal"><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/news/General-Tech/Europeans-Epic-Games-Hosting-VR-Game-Jam" class="inline-image-link" title="View: epic-2016-vrfunhousegamejam.png"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/news/2016-09-06/epic-2016-vrfunhousegamejam.png" alt="epic-2016-vrfunhousegamejam.png" title="epic-2016-vrfunhousegamejam.png" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="357" /></a></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-style: normal">The jam <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nvidia-vr-funhouse-game-jam-tickets-27390348269">takes place between September 24th and September 26th</a>. Epic, NVIDIA, and Valve will be donating prizes to the event. Tickets cost 16.67 Euros, </span><span style="font-style: normal">although I&#39;m guessing that doesn&#39;t include food or a place to sleep -- they don&#39;t say one way or the other. The general public can also buy tickets for the last day, to experience the creations.</span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Europeans-Epic-Games-Hosting-VR-Game-Jam" target="_blank">read more</a></p>https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Europeans-Epic-Games-Hosting-VR-Game-Jam#commentsGeneral Techepic gameshtcnvidiavalvevivevr funhouseTue, 06 Sep 2016 21:58:07 +0000Scott Michaud66176 at https://www.pcper.comHTC Vive Currently Dominating Oculus Saleshttps://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/HTC-Vive-Currently-Dominating-Oculus-Sales
<p><span style="font-style: normal">Thanks to <a href="http://wccftech.com/">Keith of WCCFTech</a> for </span><span style="font-style: normal"><a href="https://twitter.com/KeithPlaysPC/status/749404233137463296">tweeting this out</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-style: normal">According to <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey">the Steam Hardware Survey</a>, the HTC Vive is </span><span style="font-style: normal">dominating the Oculus Rift by more than a factor of two (0.15% to 0.06%). More-so, its rate of change is also double that of Oculus (0.06% to 0.03%). If these numbers are accurate, this means that the SteamVR is massively overtaking Oculus SDK in terms of both amount and rate of change.</span></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><span style="font-style: normal"><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/news/General-Tech/HTC-Vive-Currently-Dominating-Oculus-Sales" class="inline-image-link" title="View: htc-valve-2016-viveset.png"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/news/2016-07-02/htc-valve-2016-viveset.png" alt="htc-valve-2016-viveset.png" title="htc-valve-2016-viveset.png" class="pcper-inline" width="550" height="295" /></a></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-style: normal">Now the question</span><span style="font-style: normal">s are</span><span style="font-style: normal"> &ldquo;why?&rdquo; </span><span style="font-style: normal">and &ldquo;what does that mean?&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-style: normal">The most obvious reason, to me, is that</span><span style="font-style: normal"> </span><span style="font-style: normal"><a href="http://www.androidcentral.com/htc-vive-shipments-down-2-3-businesses-days-more-demo-added">HTC has much better availability than Oculus</a>. For the last month, they announced that the Vive ships within two-to-three business days. </span><span style="font-style: normal">If you look at Oculus? The website tells you to expect it in August. It is currently the second day of July. </span><span style="font-style: normal">While a month is not too long of a time to wait, it would make sense that a consumer would look at the two options and say &ldquo;Yeah, the this week one, please.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-style: normal">If that&#39;s the case, then the platform battle could be decided simply by retail availability. It wouldn&#39;t be decided by a Valve-developed first-party game. It wouldn&#39;t be decided by DRM locking games into an exclusive deal. It would simply be decided by &ldquo;you can buy this one&rdquo;. That is, unless Oculus ramps up production soon. At that point, we&#39;ll need to look back at hardware surveys (not just Steam&#39;s) and see what the split is. They could catch up. They could be left behind. Who knows? </span><span style="font-style: normal">It could be another factor altogether.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-style: normal">For now, </span><span style="font-style: normal">the Vive seems like it&#39;s the crowd favorite.</span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/HTC-Vive-Currently-Dominating-Oculus-Sales" target="_blank">read more</a></p>https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/HTC-Vive-Currently-Dominating-Oculus-Sales#commentsGeneral TechhtcOculusoculus riftsteamsteamvrvalveviveSun, 03 Jul 2016 01:21:15 +0000Scott Michaud65686 at https://www.pcper.comThe Vives are cominghttps://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Vives-are-coming
<p>As of today if you order an HTC Vive VR Headset you should receive it mere days after you place your order, no longer is it a preorder process where you would need to wait an indeterminate amount of time.&nbsp; The package will cost you&nbsp; $799US or $1,149CAN so it is not quite an impulse buy but it certainly is very tempting.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.vive.com">You can order online</a> or drop by a Microsoft Store, Gamestop or Micro Center if such things exist in your neighbourhood.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.pcper.com/reviews/General-Tech/SteamVR-HTC-Vive-depth-Lighthouse-Tracking-System-Dissected-and-Explored">Al took a look</a> at some of the technology in the Vive in this article, which is interesting to look at even if you can&#39;t quite afford one yet.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/news/General-Tech/Vives-are-coming" class="inline-image-link" title="View: VR_Web_Product_HMD.png"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/news/2016-06-07/VR_Web_Product_HMD.png" alt="VR_Web_Product_HMD.png" title="VR_Web_Product_HMD.png" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="361" /></a></div></p>
<blockquote><p>&quot;HTC ViveTM can now be purchased through <a href="http://www.vive.com" title="www.vive.com">www.vive.com</a> in 24 countries, shipping within 2-3 business days of purchase. In addition to online availability from HTC, individuals can now buy the revolutionary Vive virtual reality system in select Microsoft Stores, GameStop and Micro Center locations. Pre-orders placed through these retailers will be fulfilled beginning this week.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Here is some more Tech News from around the web:</p>
<p><b><a href="http://forums.pcper.com/forumdisplay.php?f=54">Tech Talk</a></b></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://it.slashdot.org/story/16/06/07/1435231/huge-vulnerabilities-in-facebook-chat-and-messenger-exploitable-with-basic-html" target="_blank">Huge Vulnerabilities In Facebook Chat and Messenger Exploitable With Basic HTML @ Slashdot</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/06/android_patches/" target="_blank">You&#39;ve got a patch, you&#39;ve got a patch ... almost every Android device has a patch @ The Register</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2460634/marshmallow-is-locking-samsung-galaxy-s6-and-note-5-users-out-of-their-device" target="_blank">Marshmallow is locking Samsung Galaxy S6 and Note 5 users out of their device @ The Inquirer</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/06/intel_xeon_e7_v4/" target="_blank">Intel reveals Xeon E7 v4: Is that 24TB in your pocket or are... oh, it is @ The Register</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2016/06/06/rovi_mulls_exit_from_tivo_hardware_biz/" target="_blank">Tivo&#39;s new owner ponders binning its own boxes @ The Register</a></li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Vives-are-coming" target="_blank">read more</a></p>https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Vives-are-coming#commentsGeneral TechhtcviveVRTue, 07 Jun 2016 18:18:50 +0000Jeremy Hellstrom65532 at https://www.pcper.comPodcast #394 - Measuring VR Performance, NVIDIA's Pascal GP100, Bristol Ridge APUs and more!https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Podcast-394-Measuring-VR-Performance-NVIDIAs-Pascal-GP100-Bristol-Ridge-APUs-and-m
<p class="c1 c1 c1 c1 c1 c1 c1 c1 c1 c1"><u><strong class="c1 c1">PC Perspective Podcast #394 - 04/07/2016</strong></u></p>
<p>Join us this week as we discuss measuring VR Performance, NVIDIA&#39;s Pascal GP100, Bristol Ridge APUs and more!</p>
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<p class="rteleft"><em>This episode of the PC Perspective Podcast is <a href="http://www.lenovo.com">sponsored by Lenovo</a>!</em></p>
<p class="rteleft"><strong>Hosts</strong>: Ryan Shrout, Jeremy Hellstrom, Josh Walrath and Allyn Malventano</p>
<div class="c7">
<p>Program length: 1:32:19</p>
<ol class="c8" id="docs-internal-guid-fbc8b725-6d18-53d3-bd02-1370c4547cbf">
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<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">Week in Review:</span></div>
<ol class="c8">
<li class="c7" dir="ltr">
<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">0:07:35</span> <a class="c3" href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Cases-and-Cooling/Thermaltake-Core-X9-E-ATX-Cube-Chassis-Advanced-Topics"><span class="c2">Thermaltake Core X9 E-ATX Cube Chassis - Advanced Topics</span></a></div>
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<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">0:14:30</span> <a class="c3" href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Measuring-VR-Performance-and-Experiences-Prologue"><span class="c2">Measuring VR Performance and Experiences - A Prologue</span></a></div>
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<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">0:33:35</span> <a class="c3" href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/General-Tech/SteamVR-HTC-Vive-depth-Lighthouse-Tracking-System-Dissected-and-Explored"><span class="c2">SteamVR HTC Vive In-depth - Lighthouse Tracking System Dissected and Explored</span></a></div>
</li>
</ol>
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<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">0:46:25</span> <em><span class="c4">This week&rsquo;s podcast is brought to you by</span> <a class="c3" href="http://casper.com/pcper"><span class="c2">Casper</span></a><span class="c4">. Use code PCPER at checkout for $50 towards your order!</span></em></div>
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<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">0:50:10</span> <a class="c3" href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/NVIDIA-Pascal-Architecture-Details-Tesla-P100-GP100-GPU"><span class="c2">NVIDIA Pascal Architecture Details, Tesla P100, GP100 GPU</span></a></div>
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</ol>
</li>
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<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">News items of interest:</span></div>
<ol class="c8">
<li class="c7" dir="ltr">
<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">1:06:05</span> <a class="c3" href="http://www.pcper.com/news/Processors/AMD-Pre-Announces-7th-Gen-Series-SOC"><span class="c2">AMD Pre-Announces 7th Gen A-Series SOC</span></a></div>
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<li class="c7" dir="ltr">
<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">1:09:00</span> <a class="c3" href="http://www.pcper.com/news/Graphics-Cards/AMD-Brings-Dual-Fiji-and-HBM-Memory-Server-Room-FirePro-S9300-x2"><span class="c2">AMD Brings Dual Fiji and HBM Memory To Server Room With FirePro S9300 x2</span></a></div>
</li>
<li class="c7" dir="ltr">
<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">1:13:40</span> <a class="c3" href="http://www.pcper.com/news/Graphics-Cards/EVGA-Releases-NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-950-Low-Power-Cards"><span class="c2">EVGA Releases NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 Low Power Cards</span></a></div>
</li>
<li class="c7" dir="ltr">
<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">1:15:30</span> <a class="c3" href="http://www.pcper.com/news/Systems/HP-Announces-Worlds-Thinnest-Laptop-Spectre-133"><span class="c2">HP Announces World&#39;s Thinnest Laptop - The Spectre 13.3</span></a></div>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li class="c5" dir="ltr">
<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">Hardware/Software Picks of the Week</span></div>
<ol class="c8">
<li class="c7" dir="ltr">
<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">Ryan:</span> <a class="c3" href="https://slack.com/"><span class="c2">Slack</span></a></div>
</li>
<li class="c7" dir="ltr">
<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">Jeremy:</span> <a class="c3" href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/236850/"><span class="c2">Now you can have even less time</span></a></div>
</li>
<li class="c7" dir="ltr">
<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">Josh:</span> <a class="c3" href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211985"><span class="c2">Just ordered this one.. Was $99. Will be again!</span></a></div>
</li>
<li class="c7" dir="ltr">
<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">Allyn: Play old arcade games in your browser (</span><a class="c3" href="https://archive.org/details/arcade_roadblst"><span class="c2">archive.org</span></a><span class="c6">)</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
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<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><a class="c3" href="http://pcper.com/podcast"><span class="c2">http://pcper.com/podcast</span></a></div>
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<div class="c4" dir="ltr"><a class="c3" href="http://twitter.com/ryanshrout"><span class="c9">http://twitter.com/ryanshrout</span></a> <span class="c6">and</span> <a class="c3" href="http://twitter.com/pcper"><span class="c2">http://twitter.com/pcper</span></a></div>
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<div class="c10" dir="ltr"><span class="c6">Closing/outro</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
<p class="c14"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=pcper" target="_blank">Subscribe to the PC Perspective YouTube Channel for more videos, reviews and podcasts!!</a></p>
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<p><a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Podcast-394-Measuring-VR-Performance-NVIDIAs-Pascal-GP100-Bristol-Ridge-APUs-and-m" target="_blank">read more</a></p>https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Podcast-394-Measuring-VR-Performance-NVIDIAs-Pascal-GP100-Bristol-Ridge-APUs-and-m#commentsGeneral TechamdAPUBristol RidgeGP100hphtcnvidiaOculuspascalperfmonpodcastriftSpectre 13.3steamvrtesla p100videoviveVRThu, 07 Apr 2016 18:47:26 +0000Ken Addison65129 at https://www.pcper.comMeasuring VR Performance and Experiences - A Prologuehttps://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Measuring-VR-Performance-and-Experiences-Prologue
<p>It has been an interesting past several weeks and I find myself in an interesting spot. Clearly, and without a shred of doubt, virtual reality, more than any other gaming platform that has come before it, needs an accurate measure of performance and experience. With traditional PC gaming, if you dropped a couple of frames, or saw a slightly out of sync animation, you might notice and get annoyed. But in VR, with a head-mounted display just inches from your face taking up your entire field of view, a hitch in frame or a stutter in motion can completely ruin the immersive experience that the game developer is aiming to provide. Even worse, it could cause dizziness, nausea and define your VR experience negatively, likely killing the excitement of the platform.</p>
<p><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Measuring-VR-Performance-and-Experiences-Prologue" class="inline-image-link" title="View: pic-hmd1.jpg"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/review/2016-04-05/pic-hmd1.jpg" alt="pic-hmd1.jpg" title="pic-hmd1.jpg" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="401" /></a></div></p>
<p>My conundrum, and the one that I think most of our industry rests in, is that we don&rsquo;t yet have the tools and ability to properly quantify the performance of VR. In a market and a platform that so desperately needs to get this RIGHT, we are at a point where we are just trying to get it AT ALL. I have read and seen some other glances at performance of VR headsets like the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive released today, but honest all are missing the mark at some level. Using tools built for traditional PC gaming environments just doesn&rsquo;t work, and experiential reviews talk about what the gamer can expect to &ldquo;feel&rdquo; but lack the data and analysis to back it up and to help point the industry in the right direction to improve in the long run.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/xOgnKGRmcSg" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>With final hardware from both Oculus and HTC / Valve in my hands for the last three weeks, I have, with the help of Ken and Allyn, been diving into the important question of HOW do we properly test VR? I will be upfront: we don&rsquo;t have a final answer yet. But we have a direction. And we have some interesting results to show you that should prove we are on the right track. But we&rsquo;ll need help from the likes of Valve, Oculus, AMD, NVIDIA, Intel and Microsoft to get it right. Based on a lot of discussion I&rsquo;ve had in just the last 2-3 days, I think we are moving in the correct direction.</p>
<p><strong>Why things are different in VR performance testing</strong></p>
<p>So why don&rsquo;t our existing tools work for testing performance in VR? Things like Fraps, Frame Rating and FCAT have revolutionized performance evaluation for PCs &ndash; so why not VR? The short answer is that the gaming pipeline changes in VR with the introduction of two new SDKs: Oculus and OpenVR.</p>
<p>Though both have differences, the key is that they are intercepting the draw ability from the GPU to the screen. When you attach an Oculus Rift or an HTC Vive to your PC it does not show up as a display in your system; this is a change from the first developer kits from Oculus years ago. Now they are driven by what&rsquo;s known as &ldquo;direct mode.&rdquo; This mode offers improved user experiences and the ability for the Oculus an OpenVR systems to help with quite a bit of functionality for game developers. It also means there are actions being taken on the rendered frames after we can last monitor them. At least for today.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Measuring-VR-Performance-and-Experiences-Prologue">Continue reading our experience in benchmarking VR games!!</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Measuring-VR-Performance-and-Experiences-Prologue" target="_blank">read more</a></p>https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Measuring-VR-Performance-and-Experiences-Prologue#commentsGraphics Cardsframe ratingfrapshtcperformancepresentmonvideoviveVRTue, 05 Apr 2016 15:08:04 +0000Ryan Shrout65112 at https://www.pcper.comAMD and NVIDIA release drivers for Oculus Rift launch day!https://www.pcper.com/news/Graphics-Cards/AMD-and-NVIDIA-release-drivers-Oculus-Rift-launch-day
<p>As the first Oculus Rift retail units begin hitting hands in the US and abroad, both AMD and NVIDIA have released new drivers to help gamers ease into the world of VR gaming.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Up first is AMD, with <a href="http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/AMD-Radeon-Software-Crimson-Edition-16-3-2.aspx" target="_blank">Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.3.2</a>. It adds support for Oculus SDK v1.3 and the Radeon Pro Duo...for all none of you that have that product in your hands. AMD claims that this driver will offer &quot;the most stable and compatible driver for developing VR experiences on the Rift to-date.&quot; AMD tells us that the latest implementation of LiquidVR features in the software help the SDKs and VR games at release take better advantage of AMD Radeon GPUs. This includes&nbsp;capabilities like asynchronous shaders (which AMD thinks should be capitalized for some reason??) and Quick Response Queue (which I think refers to the ability to process without context change penalties) to help Oculus <a href="https://developer.oculus.com/blog/asynchronous-timewarp-on-oculus-rift/" target="_blank">implement Asynchronous Timewarp</a>.</p>
<p><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/news/Graphics-Cards/AMD-and-NVIDIA-release-drivers-Oculus-Rift-launch-day" class="inline-image-link" title="View: ocululs.jpg"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/news/2016-03-28/ocululs.jpg" alt="ocululs.jpg" title="ocululs.jpg" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="339" /></a></div></p>
<p>NVIDIA&#39;s release is a <a href="http://www.geforce.com/whats-new/articles/game-ready-drivers-for-virtual-reality-dark-souls-iii-and-more-released" target="_blank">bit more substantial</a>, with <a href="http://www.geforce.com/drivers" target="_blank">GeForce Game Ready 364.72 WHQL drivers</a> adding support for the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and&nbsp;improvements for Dark Souls III, Killer Instinct, Paragon early access and even Quantum Break.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>For the optimum experience when using the Oculus Rift, and when playing the thirty games launching alongside the headset, upgrade to today&#39;s VR-optimized Game Ready driver. Whether you&#39;re playing Chronos, Elite Dangerous, EVE: Valkyrie, or any of the other VR titles, you&#39;ll want our latest driver to minimize latency, improve performance, and add support for our newest VRWorks features that further enhance your experience.</em></p>
<p><em>Today&#39;s Game Ready driver also supports the HTC Vive Virtual Reality headset, which launches next week. As with the Oculus Rift, our new driver optimizes and improves the experience, and adds support for the latest Virtual Reality-enhancing technology.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Good to see both GPU vendors giving us new drivers for the release of the Oculus Rift...let&#39;s hope it pans out well and the response from the first buyers is positive!</p>
<p><a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/Graphics-Cards/AMD-and-NVIDIA-release-drivers-Oculus-Rift-launch-day" target="_blank">read more</a></p>https://www.pcper.com/news/Graphics-Cards/AMD-and-NVIDIA-release-drivers-Oculus-Rift-launch-day#commentsGraphics CardsamdhtcnvidiaOculusriftsteamvrvalveviveMon, 28 Mar 2016 14:20:52 +0000Ryan Shrout65068 at https://www.pcper.comVideo Perspective: HTC Vive Pre First Impressionshttps://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Video-Perspective-HTC-Vive-Pre-First-Impressions
<p>On Friday I was able to get a pre-release HTC Vive Pre in the office and spend some time with it. Not only was I interested in getting more hands-on time with the hardware without a time limit but we were also experimenting with how to stream and record VR demos and environments.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Enjoy and mock!</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/v0NT9BSQ2M4" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Video-Perspective-HTC-Vive-Pre-First-Impressions" target="_blank">read more</a></p>https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Video-Perspective-HTC-Vive-Pre-First-Impressions#commentsGeneral TechGraphics Cardshtcprevideovirtual realityvivevive preVRSat, 26 Mar 2016 04:11:58 +0000Ryan Shrout65067 at https://www.pcper.comVR System Build Guide Spring 2016: High End at $2500https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-High-End-2500
<p>Early this year I started getting request after request for hardware suggestions for upcoming PC builds for VR. The excitement surrounding the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive has caught fire across all spectrums of technology, from PC enthusiasts to gaming enthusiasts to just those of you interested in a technology that has been &quot;right around the corner&quot; for decades. The requests for build suggestions spanned our normal readership as well as those that had previously only focused on console gaming, and thus the need for a selection of build guides began.</p>
<blockquote><div style="padding:1px 10px; background-color: rgba(0, 60, 120, 0.25);">
<p><em>Looking for all of the PC Perspective Spring 2016 VR guides?</em></p>
<ul>
<li><em><a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Budget-Cost-900">$900 Budget VR Build Guide</a></em></li>
<li><em><a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Mid-range-1500">$1500 Mid-range VR Build Guide</a></em></li>
<li><a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-High-End-2500"><em>$2500 High-end VR Build Guide</em></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>I launched build guides for $900 and $1500 price points earlier in the week, but today we look at the flagship option, targeting a budget of $2500. Though this is a pricey system that should not be undertaken lightly, it is far from a &quot;crazy expensive&quot; build with multiple GPUs, multiple CPUs or high dollar items unnecessary for gaming and VR.</p>
<p><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/reviews/Graphics-Cards/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-High-End-2500" class="inline-image-link" title="View: system1.jpg"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/review/2016-03-21/system1.jpg" alt="system1.jpg" title="system1.jpg" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="436" /></a></div></p>
<p>With that in mind, let&#39;s jump right into the information you are looking for: the components we recommend.</p>
<p class="rtecenter">
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<table border="1" class="tftable" id="tfhover">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>VR Build Guide<br />
$2500 Spring 2016</th>
<th class="rtecenter">Component</th>
<th class="rtecenter">Amazon.com Link</th>
<th class="rtecenter">B&amp;H Photo Link</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Processor</td>
<td>Intel Core i7-5930K</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjB9nO" target="_blank">$527</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1pzZqu3" target="_blank">$578</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Motherboard</td>
<td>ASUS X99-A USB 3.1</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjBhUj" target="_blank">$264</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1pj0t1I" target="_blank">$259</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Memory</td>
<td>Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB DDR4-3000</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjBnLz" target="_blank">$169</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Graphics Card</td>
<td>ASUS GeForce GTX 980 Ti STRIX</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjI3tk" target="_blank">$659</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1LfdZgh" target="_blank">$669</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Storage</td>
<td>512GB Samsung 950 Pro<br />
Western Digital Red 4TB</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjByqn" target="_blank">$326</a><br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/1SjBHtT" target="_blank">$180</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1RCs1W5" target="_blank">$322</a><br />
<a href="http://bhpho.to/1pbtziL" target="_blank">$154</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Power Supply</td>
<td>Corsair HX750i Platinum</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjBO8P" target="_blank">$144</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1SDN934" target="_blank">$149</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CPU Cooler</td>
<td>Corsair H100i v2</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/21G1MU3" target="_blank">$107</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/21G1D2X" target="_blank">$107</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Case</td>
<td>Corsair Carbide 600C</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjIXpw" target="_blank">$149</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1YDjurn" target="_blank">$141</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Total Price</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Full cart - $2,519</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="rtecenter"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/34QSsu44Hy4" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>For those of you interested in a bit more detail on the why of the parts selection, rather than just the what, I have some additional information for you.</p>
<p><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/reviews/Graphics-Cards/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-High-End-2500" class="inline-image-link" title="View: cpu.jpg"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/review/2016-03-21/cpu.jpg" alt="cpu.jpg" title="cpu.jpg" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="409" /></a></div></p>
<p>Unlike the previous two builds that used Intel&#39;s consumer Skylake processors, our $2500 build moves to the Haswell-E platform, an enthusiast design that comes from the realm of workstation products. The Core i7-5930K is a 6-core processor with HyperThreading, allowing for 12 addressable threads. Though we are targeting this machine for VR gaming, the move to this processor will mean better performance for other tasks as well including video encoding, photo editing and more. It&#39;s unlocked too - so if you want to stretch that clock speed up via overclocking, you have the flexibility for that.</p>
<p><u>Update</u>: Several people have pointed out <a href="http://amzn.to/1RDqGUX" target="_blank">that the Core i7-5820K is a very similar processor</a> to the 5930K, with a $100-150 price advantage. It&#39;s another great option if you are looking to save a bit more money, and you don&#39;t expect to want/need the additional PCI Express lanes the 5930K offers (40 lanes versus 28 lanes).</p>
<p><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/reviews/Graphics-Cards/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-High-End-2500" class="inline-image-link" title="View: mb.jpg"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/review/2016-03-21/mb.jpg" alt="mb.jpg" title="mb.jpg" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="451" /></a></div></p>
<p>With the transition to Haswell-E we have an ASUS X99-A USB 3.1 motherboard. This board is the first in our VR builds&nbsp;to support not just 2-Way SLI and CrossFire but 3-Way as well if we find that VR games and engines are able to consistently and properly integrate support for multi-GPU. This recently updated board from ASUS includes USB 3.1 support as you can tell from the name, includes 8 slots for DDR4 memory and offers enough PCIe lanes for expansion in all directions.</p>
<blockquote><div style="padding:1px 10px; background-color: rgba(0, 60, 120, 0.25);">
<p><em>Looking to build a PC for the very first time, or need a refresher? You can find our recent <a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/My-First-PC-Build-Going-Zero-Gaming-3-Steps" target="_blank">step-by-step build videos to help you through the process right here!!</a></em></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/reviews/Graphics-Cards/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-High-End-2500" class="inline-image-link" title="View: 980ti.jpg"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/review/2016-03-21/980ti.jpg" alt="980ti.jpg" title="980ti.jpg" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="278" /></a></div></p>
<p>For our graphics card we have gone with the ASUS GeForce GTX 980 Ti Strix. The 980 Ti is the fastest single GPU solution on the market today and with 6GB of memory on-board should be able to handle anything that VR can toss at it. In terms of compute performance the 980 Ti is more than 40% faster than the GTX 980, the GPU used in our $1500 solution. The Strix integration uses a custom cooler that performs much better than the stock solution and is quieter.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-High-End-2500">Continue reading our recommend build for a VR system with a budget of $2500!!</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-High-End-2500" target="_blank">read more</a></p>https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-High-End-2500#commentsGraphics Cardsbuild guidehtcOculusriftvideoviveVRFri, 25 Mar 2016 14:00:00 +0000Ryan Shrout65036 at https://www.pcper.comVR System Build Guide Spring 2016: Mid-range at $1500https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Mid-range-1500
<p>Early this year I started getting request after request for hardware suggestions for upcoming PC builds for VR. The excitement surrounding the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive has caught fire across all spectrums of technology, from PC enthusiasts to gaming enthusiasts to just those of you interested in a technology that has been &quot;right around the corner&quot; for decades. The requests for build suggestions spanned our normal readership as well as those that had previously only focused on console gaming, and thus the need for a selection of build guides began.</p>
<blockquote><div style="padding:1px 10px; background-color: rgba(0, 60, 120, 0.25);">
<p><em>Looking for all of the PC Perspective Spring 2016 VR guides?</em></p>
<ul>
<li><em><a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Budget-Cost-900">$900 Budget VR Build Guide</a></em></li>
<li><em><a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Mid-range-1500">$1500 Mid-range VR Build Guide</a></em></li>
<li><a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-High-End-2500"><em>$2500 High-end VR Build Guide</em></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>I have already given suggestions <a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Budget-Cost-900" target="_blank">for a minimum specification build, with a target price of just $900</a>, in a previous build guide. Today we are going to up the ante a bit more with some additional cash. What can we change&nbsp;and upgrade if given a budget of $1500 for a PC that will handle VR and standard PC gaming?</p>
<p><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Mid-range-1500" class="inline-image-link" title="View: system.jpg"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/review/2016-03-18/system_0.jpg" alt="system.jpg" title="system.jpg" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="401" /></a></div></p>
<p>It turns out you can get quite a jump in performance with that added budget:</p>
<p class="rtecenter">
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<table border="1" class="tftable" id="tfhover">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>VR Build Guide<br />
$1500 Spring 2016</th>
<th class="rtecenter">Component</th>
<th class="rtecenter">Amazon.com Link</th>
<th class="rtecenter">B&amp;H Photo Link</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Processor</td>
<td>Intel Core i7-6700K</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1Vi8i3m" target="_blank">$362</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1UWwyIg" target="_blank">$374</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Motherboard</td>
<td>MSI Z170A Gaming M5</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjE4Ns" target="_blank">$200</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1TxYrHg" target="_blank">$183</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Memory</td>
<td>16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3000</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjEsvp" target="_blank">$79</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1R9YOY5" target="_blank">$94</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Graphics Card</td>
<td>MSI GeForce GTX 980 Gaming 4GB</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjEzqw" target="_blank">$459</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1RTtfil" target="_blank">$466</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Storage</td>
<td>500GB Samsung 850 EVO<br />
Seagate 2TB Barracuda</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjEFyA" target="_blank">$149</a><br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/1SjGrj3" target="_blank">$71</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1YDlxvr" target="_blank">$149</a><br />
<a href="http://bhpho.to/1pjaL1M" target="_blank">$71</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Power Supply</td>
<td>Seasonic X650 Gold 650 watt</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjIiV4" target="_blank">$129</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CPU Cooler</td>
<td>Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjESBQ" target="_blank">$29</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1Ra0NvJ" target="_blank">$28</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Case</td>
<td>Fractal Design Define S Windowed</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjMuUQ" target="_blank">$111</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Total Price</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Full cart - $1,589</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="rtecenter"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/t1BXGIKzLis" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>For those of you interested in a bit more detail&nbsp;on the why of the parts selection, rather than just the what, I have some additional information for you.</p>
<p><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Mid-range-1500" class="inline-image-link" title="View: cpu.jpg"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/review/2016-03-18/cpu_0.jpg" alt="cpu.jpg" title="cpu.jpg" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="339" /></a></div></p>
<p>The Core i7-6700K is the highest end consumer processor in Intel&#39;s lineup based on the Skylake architecture. This part is a quad-core CPU with HyperThreading enabled that allows for eight threads of processing at an extremely high base clock of 4.0 GHz. Even better, because of the K-designation, if you chose to venture into the world of overclocking, you&#39;ll be able to hit 4.5-4.7 GHz with little effort. The MSI Z170A Gaming M5 motherboard has all the overclocking features you&#39;ll need to get the job done while also including support for SLI and CrossFire multi-GPU setups, USB 3.1, dual M.2 storage connections and an improved audio interface. We were able to bump from 8GB to 16GB of DDR4 memory in this budget - a benefit for more than just gaming.</p>
<blockquote><div style="padding:1px 10px; background-color: rgba(0, 60, 120, 0.25);">
<p><em>Looking to build a PC for the very first time, or need a refresher? You can find our recent <a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/My-First-PC-Build-Going-Zero-Gaming-3-Steps" target="_blank">step-by-step build videos to help you through the process right here!!</a></em></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Mid-range-1500" class="inline-image-link" title="View: gpu.jpg"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/review/2016-03-18/gpu_0.jpg" alt="gpu.jpg" title="gpu.jpg" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="339" /></a></div></p>
<p>MSI is also the manufacturer of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 graphics card we have selected, a a product that is easily the most important (and most expensive) component for your gaming and VR PC. With 4GB of GDDR5 memory, 2048 CUDA processing cores and the highest level of software and driver support for modern GPUs, the GTX 980 nets you anywhere from 15-25% additional performance over the GTX 970 from our $900 VR system build. For users considering an AMD option, the <a href="http://amzn.to/25glJp0" target="_blank">Radeon R9 390X</a> and the <a href="http://amzn.to/25glUk7" target="_blank">Radeon R9 Nano</a> are both fantastic options as well.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Mid-range-1500">Continue reading our selections for a $1500 VR system build!!</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Mid-range-1500" target="_blank">read more</a></p>https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Mid-range-1500#commentsSystemsbuild guidehtcOculusriftvideoviveVRWed, 23 Mar 2016 14:00:00 +0000Ryan Shrout65021 at https://www.pcper.comVR System Build Guide Spring 2016: Budget Cost of $900https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Budget-Cost-900
<p>Early this year I started getting request after request for hardware suggestions for upcoming PC builds for VR. The excitement surrounding the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive has caught fire across all spectrums of technology, from PC enthusiasts to gaming enthusiasts to just those of you interested in a technology that has been &quot;right around the corner&quot; for decades. The requests for build suggestions spanned our normal readership as well as those that had previously only focused on console gaming, and thus the need for a selection of build guides began.</p>
<blockquote><div style="padding:1px 10px; background-color: rgba(0, 60, 120, 0.25);">
<p><em>Looking for all of the PC Perspective Spring 2016 VR guides?</em></p>
<ul>
<li><em><a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Budget-Cost-900">$900 Budget VR Build Guide</a></em></li>
<li><em><a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Mid-range-1500">$1500 Mid-range VR Build Guide</a></em></li>
<li><a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-High-End-2500"><em>$2500 High-end VR Build Guide</em></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>This build will focus on the $900 price point for a complete PC. Months and months ago, when Palmer Lucky started discussing pricing for the Rift, he mentioned a &quot;total buy in cost of $1500.&quot; When it was finally revealed that the purchase price for the retail Rift was $599, the math works out to include a $900 PC.&nbsp;</p>
<p><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Budget-Cost-900" class="inline-image-link" title="View: system1.jpg"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/review/2016-03-18/system1.jpg" alt="system1.jpg" title="system1.jpg" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="509" /></a></div></p>
<p>With that in mind, let&#39;s jump right into the information you are looking for: the components we recommend.</p>
<p class="rtecenter">
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<table border="1" class="tftable" id="tfhover">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>VR Build Guide<br />
$900 Spring 2016</th>
<th class="rtecenter">Component</th>
<th class="rtecenter">Amazon.com Link</th>
<th class="rtecenter">B&amp;H Photo Link</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Processor</td>
<td>Intel Core i5-6500</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjFQxV" target="_blank">$204</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1Wd24QK" target="_blank">$204</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Motherboard</td>
<td>Gigabyte H170-Gaming 3</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjHQX4" target="_blank">$94</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Memory</td>
<td>8GB G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4-2400</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1XI8hoe" target="_blank">$43</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Graphics Card</td>
<td>EVGA GeForce GTX 970 Superclock</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjGjjO" target="_blank">$309</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1RaCZS9" target="_blank">$334</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Storage</td>
<td>250GB Samsung 850 EVO<br />
Seagate 2TB Barracuda</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjGlbs" target="_blank">$88</a><br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/1SjGrj3" target="_blank">$71</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1SDTQ58" target="_blank">$88</a><br />
<a href="http://bhpho.to/1pjaL1M" target="_blank">$71</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Power Supply</td>
<td>EVGA 500 watt 80+ Bronze</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjGxHC" target="_blank">$49</a></td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CPU Cooler</td>
<td>Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SjESBQ" target="_blank">$29</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1Ra0NvJ" target="_blank">$28</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Case</td>
<td>Corsair SPEC-01 Red</td>
<td><a href="http://amzn.to/1SmgIXq" target="_blank">$52</a></td>
<td><a href="http://bhpho.to/1LVbbVL" target="_blank">$69</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Total Price</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Full cart - $939</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="rtecenter"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/n2L1-k9Z3uI" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>For those of you interested in a bit more details on the <em>why</em> of the parts selection, rather than just the what, I have some additional information for you.</p>
<p><div class = "center-article-image"><a href="/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Budget-Cost-900" class="inline-image-link" title="View: cpu.jpg"><img src="/files/imagecache/article_max_width/review/2016-03-18/cpu.jpg" alt="cpu.jpg" title="cpu.jpg" class="pcper-inline" width="602" height="401" /></a></div></p>
<p>Starting at the beginning, the Core i5-6500 is a true quad-core processor that slightly exceeds the minimum specificaiton requirement from Oculus. It is based on the Skylake architecture so you are getting Intel&#39;s latest architecture and it is unlikely that you&#39;ll find an instance where any PC game, standard or VR, will require more processor horsepower. The motherboard from Gigabyte is based on the H170 chipset, which is lower cost but offers fewer features than Z170-class products. But for a gamer, the result will be nearly identical - stock performance and features are still impressive. 8GB of DDR4 memory should be enough as well for gaming and decent PC productivity.</p>
<blockquote><div style="padding:1px 10px; background-color: rgba(0, 60, 120, 0.25);">
<p><em>Looking to build a PC for the very first time, or need a refresher? You can find our recent <a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/My-First-PC-Build-Going-Zero-Gaming-3-Steps" target="_blank">step-by-step build videos to help you through the process right here!!</a></em></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>The GPU is still the most important component of any VR system, and with the EVGA GeForce GTX 970 selection here we are reaching the recommended specifications from Oculus and HTC/Valve. The Maxwell 2.0 architecture that the <a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-980-and-GTX-970-GM204-Review-Power-and-Efficiency">GTX 970 is based on launched in late 2014</a> and was very well received. The equivalent part from the AMD spectrum is the Radeon R9 290/390, so you are interested in that <a href="http://amzn.to/1RdNQM7" target="_blank">you can find some here</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Budget-Cost-900">Continue reading our selections for a $900 VR PC Build!!</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Budget-Cost-900" target="_blank">read more</a></p>https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/VR-System-Build-Guide-Spring-2016-Budget-Cost-900#commentsSystemsbuild guidehtcOculusriftvideoviveVRMon, 21 Mar 2016 20:49:07 +0000Ryan Shrout65019 at https://www.pcper.com